Student Spotlight Hal LeMaster

Q: The Choraliers just finished a historic season. Looking back, what made this year so special for you?

Hal: This season was pretty special. A lot of people thought we had a drawback because we had so many new people—about half the group were freshmen. But when you look at what we ended up doing, we made history. We made the most finals performances we’ve ever done as a group. It was amazing to see how we all came together to make this really cool thing.

Q: Your role in the show evolved quite a bit. You had a solo where you essentially had to "act like a crazy person." How do you get into that mode?

Hal: It took a lot of practice. I’m obviously not always a crazy person! That’s the acting aspect—being someone you’re not. You might be having the worst day ever on a performance day, but you have to act and smile the whole time. Our coach, Ms. Sporakowski, and our spirit captains help hype us up in the homeroom. We set goals for ourselves and just believe that we can do it.

Q: Being a soloist seems like it would be incredibly stressful. How do you handle the nerves once you’re under the lights?

Hal: It is stressful, but it pays off. On stage, I just tune everything out. I tell myself, "The work is over; now this is the play part of the performance." All that hard work is finally paying off, and I can show people what I’ve been working on. Once I’m out there, the nerves are basically just done.

Q: You mentioned the physical challenge of the show—specifically breathing. How do you manage to sing a solo after a high-energy dance number?

Hal: That was probably the biggest challenge. There was a really fast, hard section right before my second solo. I was breathing so hard, but the solo required me to be grounded to support my tone. I had to work a lot on where to find spots to breathe. It’s essentially like running a wind sprint and then immediately singing in front of a thousand people.

Q: You’ve been acting since you were 10 years old. Where did that passion come from?

Hal: I think I got it from watching TV and seeing kids on there. I told my mom about it, and when I was around 11, I auditioned for a musical in Milwaukee and got a small part. It was a long drive for rehearsals, and the show actually got canceled due to COVID, but that’s where it started. Since then, I’ve done Missoula Children’s Theatre, middle school show choir, and now everything I can at the high school.

Q: You are incredibly busy—Choraliers, the spring play, tennis, Student Council, Key Club, and Jazz Band. How do you balance all of that with schoolwork?

Hal: It’s a 10-hour day, usually. I get here early almost every morning for clubs and stay late for practice or rehearsal. The trick is focusing on one thing at a time. When I’m at school, I focus on school. When I’m at tennis or the play, I don't let myself think about anything else. I try not to multitask. Then I go home and get my homework done as quickly and as well as possible.

Q: You actually decided to drop soccer this year to focus on Newsies. Was that a difficult choice?

Hal: It was hard, but I had to look at what I was most passionate about. I realized the musical was something I wanted to focus on more, especially if I’m looking toward a career in music or acting. You have to pursue what is best for you.

Q: Looking ahead to the future, what are your goals after RAHS?

Hal: For a while, I thought about engineering, but after Newsies, that passion for acting and singing really grew again. Now, I’m steering towards something in music in college. UW-Madison is a dream school I’m looking at right now.

Q: Is there anyone you’d like to thank for helping you get this far?

Hal: My choir teacher, Ms. Sporakowski. She’s been a great mentor and helped me visualize how to support my tone. And definitely my parents. They are always there for me and help me get through stuff when nobody else can.